How to Make Homemade Pet Ornaments

by Deborah Lundin

One benefit to these homemade ornaments is they are all pet-safe.

The holidays are a time for everyone to celebrate together, including your furry family members. For the tree, you may have ornaments with special meaning or that represent family milestones. Your local stores may offer pet-themed ornaments, but making your own gives you the chance to add that personalized touch.

Paw Prints

One common family ornament is to have a child’s handprint or footprint on an ornament. You can do the same with your canine or feline baby. This project not only represents your pet on the tree, but also includes him in the creation. Mix together 4 cups of flour with a cup of salt and 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix and knead dough until well combined. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes, allowing enough room to be able to fit your pet’s pawprint. Help your pet press his paw into the dough. Make a small hole at the top with a toothpick or straw. This will allow you to tie a ribbon through to hang the ornament. Bake in a 300-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Let the ornaments cool completely. Once the ornament is cool, paint your pet’s name and the year, if desired.

Pictures

This simple ornament may take you back to your days in grade school but allows you to personalize your ornaments with pictures of special occasions. Using scissors, cut out desired ornament shapes from colored poster board. Go through your favorite pictures of your pet from the last year and trim them to fit within the ornament shape. Glue the picture onto the ornament. Cut a small hole in the top and tie a piece of ribbon to hang.

Scented Ornaments

This ornament project allows you to create pet-themed ornaments while adding the holiday scent of cinnamon. Because cinnamon is non-toxic to your pets, these ornaments are also pet safe if your pet decides to give them a taste. In a bowl, combine ¾ cup applesauce with a full 4.12 ounce bottle of ground cinnamon. Mix into a smooth dough. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Place another sheet on top of the dough ball and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. The parchment paper keeps the dough from sticking. Cut out shapes with your favorite pet-themed cookie cutters. Make a hole at the top of each ornament with a toothpick or straw. Place each ornament on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 200-degree oven for 2 ½ hours. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Let the ornaments sit for 2 to 3 days before handling to ensure they harden. Tie a piece of ribbon through the hole and hang on the tree.

Ornament Safety

Your tree is something to admire but, unfortunately, your pet may be a bit rambunctious in his admiration and want to give the tree a thorough checking out. If this happens, there is chance of fragile ornaments breaking. If he chooses to nibble on those pieces of broken ornaments, they can cut or injure his mouth and digestive tract. If you have a curious pet, consider plastic or other pet-safe ornament options.

References

About the Author

Deborah Lundin is a professional writer with more than 20 years of experience in the medical field and as a small business owner. She studied medical science and sociology at Northern Illinois University. Her passions and interests include fitness, health, healthy eating, children and pets.